Thieves checkmate modern security system to drive away with cars

15 Nov 201706:17am IST

15 Nov 201706:17am IST

Report byBASURI DESAI basuri@herald-goa.com

Persons arrested in Kerala are linked to thefts in Goa; Admit to having stolen 10 Swift vehicles in the State

PANJIM: The modern security systems of four-wheelers have not stopped car thieves. They have managed to break through the system and drive away with cars worth lakhs of rupees which are then sold cheaply, even for a few thousands.

In the past six months there have been a number of vehicles stolen from across the State, and these include government vehicles. Most of the vehicles have been stolen from Panjim, Porvorim and Ponda.

As per details available with Goa Police, since June there were four cars stolen from Porvorim, five from Panjim, two each from Old Goa and Ponda. Two vehicles belonging to Education Department and one vehicle of the Revenue Department are also in the list of stolen vehicles.

A breakthrough in the case came only recently, after Pune and Kerala Police busted gangs operating in their States, and Kerala Police found a link to Goa.

Based on inputs and CCTV footage provided by Porvorim Police, their counterparts in Thiruvanathapuram arrested four persons involved in theft cases in their State. They then confessed that they had stolen more than 10 Maruti Swift cars in Goa.

Goa Police are yet to receive details form Kerala Police and have sought the accused on a remand warrant.

Through interrogation Kerala Police learnt that the thieves stole the cars with the help of a ‘decoder unit’, which helps the thieves unlock the steering and to start the car. Kerala Police recovered the tools used by the thieves to steal the cars.

Goa Police officials said that since the arrest of the accused in Kerala on October 14, the theft of vehicles in Goa has stopped.

Out of four accused three are presently in judicial custody in Kerala. A Goa Police officer said they will be shortly taken on transit remand to find further links in the Goa cases.

The gang was also involved in stealing cars in Pune where one person from Kerala is in judicial custody at Yerwada Central Jail.

Besides the theft cases registered at different police stations in Goa, there are several complaints received by the Police of attempts to steal cars.

Every year nearly 36,000 vehicles worth Rs.115 crore are stolen in India. Only about 14,500 are traced, often no in roadworthy condition, with many parts missing.